Description:
No. 50 Pope’s Quay was built c. 1730 and comprises a detached five-bay three-storey red-brick house with a limestone swan-neck pedimented doorcase and moulded limestone sills. It retains many interior features and materials including ornate decorative plaster work, timber panelling and a fine staircase. It is considered the oldest surviving residence in Cork and is believed to have been built for Richard Boyle, 4th Earl of Cork though there is little evidence he lived there. In the mid-1800s, the house was home to Henry Maultby, a cooper and butter merchant. His cooperage—located in the adjoining building—produced barrels for Cork’s ale and firkins for Munster’s internationally renowned butter. The Maultby family later emigrated to Australia. The house briefly served as the County and City of Cork Hospital for Women and Children in the late 19th century. This hospital later moved to the south side of the city and became what is now the South Infirmary Victoria University Hospital. In the 1990s, the house was rescued by the Cork Civic Trust and since 2006 it has served as a shared workspace for a collective of professional arts organisations known as Arts @ Civic Trust House.
Grants Awarded:
2023: €5,000 grant through the IGS London Chapter towards repairs to rear tripartite window and €900 grant towards repair of swan-necked door pediment. Architect, Jack Coughlan Architects.
NIAH Listing: